1Kings 8:22-30; Psalm 84:3-11; Mark 7:1-13

you cannot be held
by walls
or named
by our careful prayers

yet you lean
toward the cry
that rises
from an honest heart

even the sparrow
knows where to rest
the swallow
where her young are safe

not in perfection
but near
your altar

how easily
we polish the outer cup
while love waits
unserved
at the door

you are not impressed
by clean hands
if mercy is withheld
from mother or father
neighbor or stranger

teach our hearts
your way
bend them gently
toward what matters

let our lives
be a threshold—
close enough
to hear your breathing
yet far enough
to stay humble

better one day
awake to your presence
than a lifetime
busy
and distant

stay with us,
Spirit of truth—
make your home
where our longing lives.

Are your hands open with God’s love and mercy?